Press Release 
Contact: 
Jim Greif 
[email protected] 
(202) 296-1593 

Washington, DC (December 30, 2025) – The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) is proud to announce the winners of its 2026 section awards. 

The awards are hosted by several of the association’s 108 sections organized around various academic disciplines and topics of interest. This year’s winners will be acknowledged at the awards ceremony during the 2026 AALS Annual Meeting on January 9. 

“AALS sections are important communities that create spaces where law school faculty and staff connect, share ideas, and advance scholarship and pedagogy in their fields,” said Austen Parrish, AALS President and Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. “The inspiring individuals recognized this year with section awards are fabulous leaders, teachers, and scholars, and the programs and institutions honored are so well deserving. As we mark the association’s 125th anniversary, it’s appropriate to pause to highlight excellence and leadership in legal education, and I’m looking forward to congratulating this year’s award honorees for their significant contributions at our Annual Meeting.” 

The 2026 AALS section award winners are: 

Section on Academic Support Legacy in Leadership Award 
Antonia Miceli, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law 

Section on Administrative Law Emerging Scholars Award for Outstanding Scholarly Publication 
Adam Crews, Rutgers Law School 

Section on Aging and the Law Emerging Scholar Award 
James Toomey, University of Iowa College of Law 

Section on Aging and the Law Lifetime Achievement Award 
Nancy J. Knauer, Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law 

Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution Best Scholarly Article Award  
Rachel J. Wechsler, University of Missouri School of Law 

Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution New Voices in Dispute Resolution 
Rebecca Donaldson, Marquette University Law School 
Nicolás Parra-Herrera, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law 

Section on Animal Law Excellence in Animal Law: Scholarship-Teaching-Service Award 
Matthew Liebman, University of San Francisco School of Law 

Section on Art Law Scholarship Award 
Jennifer C. Lena, Teachers College, Columbia University 
Brian Soucek, University of California, Davis, School of Law 

Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education Annual Award 
R. Lisle Baker, Suffolk University Law School 

Section on Civil Procedure Junior Scholarship Award 
Rachel Bayefsky, University of Virginia School of Law 
Honorable Mention: Payvand Ahdout, University of Virginia School of Law  
Honorable Mention: Riley Keenan, University of Richmond School of Law 
Honorable Mention: Miyoko T. Pettit-Toledo, University of Hawai‘i, William S. Richardson School of Law 

Section on Clinical Legal Education Impact on the Externship Field Award  
Susan B. Schechter, University of California, Berkeley School of Law 

Section on Clinical Legal Education Shanara Gilbert Award 
Norrinda Brown, Fordham University School of Law 

Section on Clinical Legal Education Professor Susan Jones Paper Competition Award 
Gowri J. Krishna, Fordham University School of Law 

Section on Clinical Legal Education Stephen Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship Award 
Jeffrey R. Baker, University of Alabama School of Law 

Section on Clinical Legal Education William Pincus Award for Outstanding Service and Commitment to Clinical Legal Education 
Lisa R. Bliss, Georgia State University College of Law 
Timothy W. Floyd, Mercer University School of Law 

Section on Commercial and Consumer Law Award 
Adam J. Levitin, Georgetown University Law Center 

Section on Commercial and Consumer Law Juliet Moringiello Mentorship Award  
David J. Reiss, Cornell Law School
Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law School (Emeritus) 

Section on Commercial and Consumer Law Scholarship Award 
Nancy B. Rapoport, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law 

Section on Comparative Law Mark Tushnet Prize in Comparative Law  
Jonathan Green, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law 

Section on Criminal Procedure Junior Scholars Paper Competition Award 
Rebecca Talbott, University of San Diego School of Law 
Runner-Up: Jacob Schuman, Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law 

Section on East Asian Law and Society Jerome A. Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award 
William P. Alford, Harvard Law School 

Section on Election Law Distinguished Scholarship Award 
John J. Martin, Quinnipiac University School of Law 

Section on Election Law John Hart Ely Prize in the Law of Democracy 
Samuel Issacharoff, New York University School of Law 

Section on Empirical Study of Legal Education and the Legal Profession Judith Welch Wegner Award 
Elizabeth E. Mertz, American Bar Foundation & University of Wisconsin Law School  
Jessica Steinberg, The George Washington University Law School 

Section on Evidence John Henry Wigmore Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Areas of the Law of Evidence and the Process of Proof 
Aviva Orenstein, Indiana University Maurer School of Law 

Section on Family and Juvenile Law Achievement Award 
Robin A. Lenhardt, Georgetown University Law Center 

Section on Family and Juvenile Law Emerging Scholars Paper Award 
Anna Arons, St. John’s University School of Law 
Danielle Wingfield, The University of Richmond School of Law 

Section on Federal Courts Best Untenured Article Award 
Monica Haymond, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law 

Section on Firearms Law Emerging Scholar Award  
Jacob D. Charles, Pepperdine University, Rick J. Caruso School of Law 

Section on Indian Nations and Indigenous Peoples Clinic Impact Award 
Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, Arizona State University Sandra, Day O’Connor College of Law 

Section on Indian Nations and Indigenous Peoples Early Career Scholarship Award 
Lauren van Schilfgaarde, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law 

Section on Indian Nations and Indigenous Peoples Early Career Teaching/Public Service Award 
Uʻilani Tanigawa Lum, University of Hawai‘i, William S. Richardson School of Law 

Section on Indian Nations and Indigenous Peoples Mentoring in the Legal Academy Award 
Angela R. Riley, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law 

Section on Institutional Advancement Champions Award 
Stephanie Silvestri, Seton Hall University School of Law 
Colleen Taricani, University of California, Irvine School of Law 

Section on International Human Rights Nelson Mandela Award 
Henry J. Richardson III, Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law 

Section on International Law Career Achievement Award 
Antony T. Anghie, University of Utah, S. J. Quinney College of Law 

Section on International Law Junior Scholar Award 
Jennifer W. Lanz, Charleston School of Law 
Rephael Stern, Boston University School of Law 

Section on Jurisprudence Future Promise Award 
Bill Watson, University of Illinois College of Law 

Section on Jurisprudence Hart-Dworkin Award 
Jeremy Waldron, New York University School of Law 

Section on Jurisprudence Article Award 
Felipe Jiménez, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law 

Section on Law and Religion Harold Berman Award for Excellence in Scholarship 
Zalman Rothschild, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law 

Section on Law and South Asian Studies Scholarly Paper Award 
Gaurav Mukherjee, University of Connecticut School of Law 

Section on Law Libraries and Legal Information Award 
Filippa Marullo Anzalone, Boston College Law School 
Kristina L. Niedringhaus, University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law 
Bonnie Shucha, University of Wisconsin Law School 

Section on Law, Medicine and Health Care Distinguished Service Award  

Dorit Reiss, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco 

Section on Law Professors with Disabilities and Allies Chai Feldblum Award 
Nicole B. Porter, William & Mary Law School 

Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research Award 
Kirsten K. Davis, Stetson University College of Law 

Section on Legislation and Law of the Political Process Scholarly Achievement Award 
William Eskridge, Yale Law School 
Philip P. Frickey, University of California, Berkeley School of Law 

Section on Legislation and Law of the Political Process Scholarly Emerging Scholar Award 
Joel S. Johnson, Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law 

Section on Minority Groups Clyde Ferguson Award 
Catherine Powell, Fordham University School of Law 

Section on Minority Groups Derrick A. Bell Jr. Award  
Yvette T. Butler, Indiana University Maurer School of Law 

Section on Minority Groups Impact Legacy Award 
Patricia J. Williams, Northeastern University School of Law 

Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School Excellence in Pre-Law Advising Award 
Jennifer Noble, California State University, Sacramento 

Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School Financial Aid Change Maker Award 
Lori Hickman, University of Wisconsin Law School 
Heidi Johnson, University of Wisconsin Law School 
Abigail Rubeor, University of Wisconsin Law School 

Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School Programmatic Change-Maker Award 
University of Texas School of Law Pipeline Program led by Jimmi Nicholson and Sylvia Lewis, The University of Texas School of Law  

Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School Presidential Spotlight Award 
Integrating Doctrine & Diversity Speaker Series led by Nicole P. Dyszlewski and Chelsie L. Horne, Roger Williams University School of Law 

Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School Up-and-Comer Award 
Bibi Nalima Amin, City University of New York School of Law 

Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School Unsung Hero Award 
Michelle D. Gunter, University of Baltimore School of Law 

Section on Pro Bono & Access to Justice – Access to Justice Award  
Jina Scinta, University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law 

Section on Pro Bono & Access to Justice Emerging Leader Award 
Kala Mueller, University of Nebraska College of Law 

Section on Pro Bono & Access to Justice Lifetime Achievement Award 
Susan B. Schechter, University of California, Berkeley School of Law 

Section on Professional Responsibility Fred C. Zacharias Memorial Prize 
Matthew Liebman, University of San Francisco School of Law 
Honorable Mention: Nuno Garoupa, Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University 
Honorable Mention: Milan Markovic, Texas A&M University School of Law 

Section on Race and Private Law Patricia J. Williams Award 
Lisa M. Fairfax, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School 

Section on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Issues LGBTQ+ Inclusive Excellence Award 
Darren Rosenblum, St. John’s University School of Law 

Section on Student Services Peter N. Kutulakis Student Services Award 
Macey Edmondson, University of Mississippi School of Law 

Section on Taxation Lifetime Achievement Award 
Alice G. Abreu, Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law 
Karen B. Brown, The George Washington University Law School 

Section on Technology, Law and Legal Education Award 
Jordan Jefferson, Quinnipiac University School of Law 

Section on Technology, Law and Legal Education Technology & Ethics Award 
Anna Conley, Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana 

Section on Technology, Law and Legal Education Technology Mentorship Award 
Tracy L. M. Norton, Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center 

Section on Torts and Compensation Systems William L. Prosser Award 
Catherine M. Sharkey, New York University School of Law 

Section on Trusts and Estates Browne C. Lewis Section Award 
Wendy Gerzog, University of Baltimore School of Law 

Section on Women in Legal Education Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award 
Peggy Cooper Davis, New York University School of Law 
Patricia J. Williams, Northeastern University School of Law  

About AALS 
The Association of American Law Schools (AALS), founded in 1900, is a nonprofit association of 174 member and 19 fee-paid law schools. Its members enroll most of the nation’s law students and produce the majority of the country’s lawyers and judges, as well as many of its lawmakers. The mission of AALS is to improve and advance legal education. AALS carries out its mission by promoting the core values of excellence in teaching and scholarship, academic freedom, and diversity, including diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints, while seeking to foster justice, and to serve our many communities–local, national, and international. In support of its mission, AALS serves as both the institutional membership organization for law schools, and as the learned society for law faculty.